They say you can tell a lot about a person by going through their garbage... and there's all sorts of books and theories about what your dreams say about you. But what does your workplace cubicle say about you?
Just for fun, Here's a few photos of my own personal CBS 21 News "home away from home." I'll give you a good look at several key "zones" of my desk.
The Wide Shot:
Zone # 1: The Printer Area
While it is called the Printer Area, the printer is not really mine. This noisy monster is shared by dozens of other CBS 21 News employees throughout the day. And on some days, they're nice enough to leave half-opened rheems of printer paper on the corner of my desk or on my chair. I also think its causing some long-term hearing loss in my left ear.
To give this zone a personal touch, I have added a painting that my aunt once found at a yard sale... and it begins one of the ongoing themes around my work area... Deer.
Zone # 2: The Bulletin Board
Notice right away, that this area has been hijacked by a recent practical joke. While I could certainly use the space to remind myself of important business appointments, I'm instead reminded that a CBS 21 News Producer named Scott was my Secret Santa.
Zone # 3: Awards and other Wood-Framed Things
If I ever get a real office someday, I picture it something like this, on a larger scale. Dark wood and shiny brass everywhere, accented by pictures of my wife and family. And while these few plaques are not my only awards through the years, you don't really want to over-do-it... In a cubicle, I've always believed less is more. (and there really isn't much room)
Zone # 4: The Mirror
Another luxury I'm afforded in the newsroom is being one of the most-distant from the bathroom. As you can imagine, as an Anchorman, an out-of-place hair can be worse than a broken leg. To avoid possible injury and exhaustion during a spontaneous trip to the Men's Room, I've installed this high quality mirror to the right of my computer screen.
Zone # 5: The Desktop
The clearing-house of my personal work space, the Desktop contains several items that are not so much designed to do anything... but more-or-less just to take up some space. The first two pictures are tributes to my roots. The third... what can I say, it was a gift.
Zone # 6: Calendar Row
Its a constant struggle on Calendar Row. My instinct as a man tells me to keep the deer calendar up for another year, and just guess the date...
And then there's this... Yes, another practical joke at my expense. However, once again, it is grounded in truth. While this 2008 calendar is full of show-worthy Bichon Frises, I actually am the proud owner of two Bichons of the more ordinary, less-poofy type. (Give me a break, guys, they run in my wife's family!) Out of respect for the gag, I've decided to leave it up.
Okay, so there it is... My little slice of Heaven.
Until next time...
-- Mike
